Lenny Kaye to ‘let go’ at Elk Creek Cafe

The lush, rolling hills of central Pennsylvania couldn’t be farther from the sidewalks of New York City, but that doesn’t make much of a difference for Lenny Kaye these days. Far removed from Greenwich Village, Kaye now resides in close to the Delaware Water Gap and will be returning to Centre County to perform at the Elk Creek Cafe on Nov. 28.

“I love Millheim as a town, it’s just so perfect,” Kaye said. “You can feel the mountains surrounding you, and being here is almost like being in some magical place. Millheim is a valley removed from time and you feel like it’s timeless. The surroundings really inspired me the last time I was there and I played all of these songs that dated from the turn of the century to current pop. I was able to feel the entire scope of all of the musical history that was in front of me. It really is an inspirational place to play.

“New York City obviously has its own unique energy and it’s very all-involving when you’re there,” Kaye continued. “But ever since living in Pennsylvania, I’m away from all of that and I can concentrate on my work, my writing and my inner music. This state has so much history and folklore and sense of itself, it’s a really beautiful, beautiful thing.”

Having first achieved mainstream success as the guitarist for the Patti Smith Group, Kaye’s roots extend back to a publishing career he began when he was 15 years old. A prolific writer, he has had his name plastered atop biographies, influential liner notes, music reviews and think pieces. This literary background proved to be extremely useful for his musical career.

“When I’m writing, I feel a sense of melody and rhythm in the creation of a sentence and when I’m performing there’s this sense of a narrative arc. I find them to be very complementary,” Kaye said. “I’m lucky in that as an untrained musician, I can think intuitively instead of from a notational perspective. I was able to listen to the music deep inside of me and that’s a beautiful privilege.”

Kaye has also achieved acclaim as a sought-after record producer, working in the studio with bands like R.E.M., Soul Asylum and Suzanne Vega. Although a natural master behind the control boards, Kaye seems to prefer the uncontrolled chaos of a live performance. On stage and removed from the confines of the studio, he is able to showcase the raw and unchecked power that makes his concerts so special.

“The great thing about playing live and at Elk Creek is that I can be spontaneous. Sometimes when you are recording a record, it’s the illusion of the perfect performance,” Kaye said. “A concert is alive and it’s an immediate experience where you can respond to the mood of the audience and they respond to you. Elk Creek is so embracing, warm and encouraging and it’s the ideal place to just let go of yourself.”

With more than half a century spent writing and performing music, Kaye’s staying power and influence are obvious. His unpretentious approach and ability to speak to audiences spanning generations sets him apart from other acts content with their status quo. His constant evolution as a musician and person continues to serve both him and music fans alike.

“You need to be able to find a way to express yourself that extends beyond time, writing about universal issues,” Kaye said. “Some of the songs that I perform are over 100 years old, but there are elements and emotional sentiments that strike home today. I can be just as moved by a song from The Carter Family as I am from a song by Iggy and The Stooges. When you strip down a song, it has to have that emotion there and that’s what I always try to reach for when I perform.

“It’s a collaboration with the audience,” Kaye continued. “We bring each other along and then everyone starts singing the same song and when it works, it’s an incredible thing.”

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Lenny Kaye to ‘let go’ at Elk Creek Cafe."